Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy

Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Policy The aim of the SEND Policy The aim of this policy is to ensure that The John Lyon School is an educationally inclusive school where the teaching and learning, achievements, attitudes and well-being of every pupil matter. The aim is for barriers to learning to be identified and catered for so that all pupils make the best progress possible. All pupils will be provided with equality of opportunity. Parents and carers will be involved in the education of their child and will be consulted with as well as fully informed when special educational provision is made for their child. This policy complies with the requirements laid out in the SEND Code of Practice 0-25 years (September 2014), the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014. This policy should be read alongside all other school s policies (such as Accessibility Plan, Curriculum Policy, Behaviour Policy and Anti-Bullying Policy) as well as the Parents Handbook (Admissions and Entry to the School Section C). The John Lyon School recognises the value of a high quality teaching as best practice. High quality teaching is encouraged and monitored in the school. The teachers plan, monitor, evaluate and review all pupils progress including pupils with SEND. Please refer to the Curriculum Policy. Our commitment at The John Lyon School is based on the following principles: The John Lyon pupils are all individuals and have individual needs. The John Lyon pupils are all equally valued within the school. All pupils including pupils with SEND have a common entitlement to a broad and balanced curriculum in order to fulfil their potential. Teachers in The John Lyon School are teachers of all pupils including pupils with SEND. All staff should have awareness of and regard to the needs of individuals within the school. All staff, pupils, parents and outside agencies work in partnership. It is therefore a whole-school responsibility, requiring a whole-school approach in keeping with the school s ethos. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that: Pupils with SEND are identified as early as possible; The appropriate provision for pupils with SEND is made; Pupils needs are addressed throughout or and at any time in their school career. The achievement and attainment of all pupils with SEND are raised. Parents and carers work in partnership with the school so they can be active and valued participants in their child s education.

Pupils with SEND are involved in the planning of their learning. All pupils including pupils with SEND are valued equally and take a full and active part in school life. A framework of support is provided to enable all staff to respond appropriately to the needs of pupils. All members of staff have access to training in order to support high quality teaching and learning for all. The school works in partnership with outside agencies. Pupils with SEND have a fair access to exam arrangements. Definition The Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice 0 to 25 years (2014) states that a child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special educational provision to be made for him or her. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if he or she: has a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or has a disability which prevents or hinders him or her from making use of facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools or mainstream post-16 institutions or are under compulsory school age and fall within the definition above or would do if special educational provision was not made for them. Many children and young people who have SEN may have a disability under the Equality Act 2010 that is a physical or mental impairment which has a long-term and substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This definition includes sensory impairments such as those affecting sight or hearing, and long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy and cancer. Children and young people with such conditions do not necessarily have SEN, but there is a significant overlap between children and young people with disabilities and those with SEN. We accept that pupils may have either a long term or transient need within the following areas: o Communication and interaction o Cognition and learning o Social, mental and emotional health o Sensory and/or physical The following needs may not be seen as SEN but may impact on progress and attainment: -Disability -Medical (for example epilepsy, bowel disorders, cerebral palsy and diabetes) -Attendance and Punctuality

-Health and Welfare -EAL (English as an Additional Language) -Being a Looked After Child Please refer to the Safeguarding Policy and the EAL Policy. Roles and responsibilities The Head and Governing Body have responsibility for the overall vision and day-to-day management of all aspects of the school, including provision for pupils with SEND. These responsibilities are met with the close collaboration of the Senior Management Team, Head of Learning Support (SENCO) and Learning Support team in the early identification and subsequent provision of pupils with SEND. The Head s responsibilities are: To assist in the development, monitoring and evaluating the Governors policy for SEND To establish and monitoring success criteria To involve all staff and governors in SEND development. To stablish procedural guidelines for all staff. The Head is able to fulfil these duties via Incorporating SEND considerations in the School Development Plan. Through the management framework applying the principles of the SEN Code of Practice 2014 within the context of the school. Working alongside the staff and the governor/s with responsibility to formulate, develop and review the SEND policy and practice. Establishing and developing the role and responsibilities of the Learning Support Department via job descriptions and school systems Working to establishing procedures and maintaining good practice in the school The day-to-day co-ordination of provision is delegated to the Head of Learning Support (SENCO). Head of Learning Support: Sophie Blanchard Dip. RSA SpLD The Head of Learning Support maintains a list of pupils identified as SEND and needing additional support other than differentiation in class. This is called the SEND Support register. The Head of Learning Support also maintains a list of pupils identified with SEND needs that can be catered for in the classroom. This list is called the Grey Star Register. The staff can have instant access to the information about pupils identified specific needs, strategies for pupils as well as access arrangements (when relevant) on both registers. The information provided will be treated as confidential.

The Head of Learning Support s responsibilities are: To play a key role in delivering the strategic development of the SEND policy To co-ordinate the provision for pupils with SEND To ensure all teaching staff understand their responsibilities to pupils with SEND and the school s approach to identifying pupils with SEND To ensure all teachers understand their responsibilities with catering for barriers to learning so that all pupils make the best progress possible. To liaise, assist with and advise on the teaching and assessment of pupils with SEND To give teachers and parents advice on the level of support and on appropriate resources and strategies to support learning at school and at home. To monitor the needs of SEND pupils together with the Head and the staff To teach pupils with SEND who need additional support in one-to-one basis or in small group. To review needs and progress twice a year or at agreed dates. To liaise with external agencies To contribute to the training of staff regarding SEND issues Teachers Teachers are teachers of all pupils including pupils with SEND. Teachers provide high quality teaching. Teachers monitor, note and discuss pupils progress. Teachers use a graduate approach (assess, plan, do and review) and provide differentiated work. Teachers identify concerns of individual pupils and liaise with the Learning Support department, Form Tutor and Head of Year. Parents involvement Parents and carers work in partnership with the school so they can be active and valued participants in their child s education. Parents have the responsibility for informing the school about any known special educational needs and/or disability for their son(s). Parents will be informed about their son s progress through the schools progress reports and parents meeting. Parents are encouraged to help their son by using recommended strategies and resources at home. Parents are encouraged to attend review meetings. Pupil s view Pupils with SEND are encouraged to voice their views on their learning. The Learning Support Pupil Profile (including any Learning Support Plan) is drawn up with the student. Pupils on the SEND Support Register will meet with a member of the Learning Support team at least twice a year to review and discuss progress.

Parents will be kept informed and pupils will be involved in decisions taken about them at each stage. Learning Support provision Identification, Assessment and Provision Parents are encouraged to disclose any known SEND or medical issues concerning their child. The information is treated as confidential. A Screening at Entry test is carried out for all new pupils in Year 7, in Year 8 and Year 9 and at any other point in the year when new pupils join the school. A Year 7 Reading Comprehension test is also carried out in order to assess pupils reading comprehension skills as well as speed of work. All Year 12 students are screened for presentation and speed of writing. Learning Support Internal assessments can be carried out by the Learning Support Specialist teachers if concerns are raised. The Learning Support Department will inform pupils and parents regarding possible areas of difficulties. When relevant, outside agencies might be involved and the Learning Support department will work in collaboration with parents. If learning difficulties are highlighted, parents will be informed, a Pupil Profile will be drawn up incorporating the parents and the pupil s views as well as in class strategies. The information on the Pupil Profile will then be shared with subject teachers and made accessible on the school s internal drive. The pupil will then be added on the Grey Star register (pupils with identified SEND who do not require additional support other than differentiation in class). The information will be treated as confidential. If learning difficulties are highlighted and the pupil needs additional support other than differentiation in class, parents will be informed, a Pupil Profile will be drawn up incorporating the parents and the pupil s views as well as in class strategies and a Learning Support Plan. The information on the Pupil Profile will then be shared with subject teachers and made accessible on the school s internal drive. The pupil will then be added on the SEND Support Register (as per the SEND Code of Practice 2014). The information will be treated as confidential. The Head of Learning Support department will add or remove pupils from the SEND Support Register depending on needs. Pupils with EAL (English as an Additional Language) will be on the EAL register.

Pupil Profiles and Provision Map: The Learning Support team draws up a Pupil Profile for all boys in the school who have been identified with SEND. The Pupil Profile highlights: - The types of need; - Areas of strengths and weaknesses; - History of need and support; - In class strategies; - The pupil s strategies and areas of focus; - A learning Support Plan (if relevant); - Progress made, feedback and self-evaluation; - Access Arrangements (if relevant). Learning Support sessions: If a pupil needs additional support other than differentiation in class, the learning support team can offer: - Occasional one-to-one or small group learning support booster sessions; - Ongoing learning support sessions depending on need; - Internal learning support assessments when needed; - Access arrangements for GCSE and A level courses (if relevant); The learning support sessions take place during school time but do not take place during core subject lessons. Evaluation and Progress Pupils with SEND will make progress measured by subject teachers who will be liaising with the Learning Support team; Pupils with SEND receiving ongoing additional support will make progress measured according to the Learning Support Plan set by the learning support specialist teacher and the pupil; Pupils with SEND will meet with the Learning Support team twice a year and will self-reflect on their achievements, their attitude towards learning and the successful strategies they used throughout the academic year so that their needs are reviewed; Information will be effectively shared between teachers, parents and pupils; The Learning Support Team meets weekly with the Head of Years and Form Tutors in order to discuss strategies, provision, progress and concerns. Access Arrangements A qualified specialist assessor carries out formal assessments (usually in Year 10 for GCSE courses) which comply with the JCQ requirements for Access Arrangements. Subject teachers will also need to provide evidence of need in class and in exams as a normal way of working.

EAL provision Pupils with EAL (English as an Additional Language) are given tailored lessons from an EAL specialist teacher. Pupils in Year 11 and Year 13 sit an IELTS exam. Please refer to the EAL Policy. Staff training Training to all members of staff is essential in order to raise awareness and understanding about different types of SEND impacting on learning, school life and attitude towards learning. The training also provides members of staff with strategies which help with planning their lessons and responding to pupils SEN and Disability needs. Training is offered to members of staff by outside agencies and by the Learning Support team. Training is also offered to the Learning Support team in order to keep up-to-date with current research, teaching techniques and legislation. The Learning Support team also attends meetings with other schools Learning Support departments. Behaviour and SEND Pupils with SEND may be more at risk of bullying by their peers. A good communication between the Learning Support team, the teachers, the Form teachers, the Head of Years, the Head of Lower School, the Head of Upper School, the Head of 6 th Form, the school nurse, the school counsellor and the career officer is maintained in order to tackle any issues. Please refer to the Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Bullying Policy. Links with other schools The Learning Support department encourages partnership between The John Lyon School and feeder schools. A good network is already established with other secondary schools. Education, Health and Care Plans The school will inform parents regarding the possibility of requesting an Education, Health and Care needs assessment if a pupil is still experiencing significant difficulties to access the curriculum or school life despite the school having taken action to identify and assess the pupil s needs as well as put in place the relevant support and strategies. If a pupil has an EHC Plan (Educational, Health and Care Plan) in place or Statement in the process of being replaced by an EHC Plan, the school will co-operate with the local authority in the review process including annual review meetings. Parents are always invited to liaise with the Learning Support department in order to voice their views and if they need any further advice.

Conclusion The commitment to educational inclusion will be an integral part of every aspect of the school s life and work. It will be marked by the pupil centred approach in all we do to ensure that the needs of each individual are met. The SEND policy is a working document which reflects the changing needs of the pupils. This policy is reviewed annually. Policy reviewed by Sophie Blanchard Date of policy review: 15.09.2015